Grogol started as a lunatic asylum which was converted in a
Japanese Internment Camp for civilians during
World War II. Triangle-shaped Grogol began as a new residential suburb built on 25 hectares of land. This land has been allocated by the Jakarta city government in 1952 for housing, especially for public servants which includes a number of members from the parliament. The area was established around the 1960s. Grogol was located on the eastern side of the
West Flood Canal and was designed to be flood-proof as a conscious effort to address Jakarta's
regular flooding problems. Despite the planning, heavy rains in February 1960 flooded the residential area in Grogol up to the knee and waist. The February 1960s flooding was the first crisis for Governor
Soemarno, who was installed only days before the floods began. == See also ==